Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-09-17
Restricted immigration.
Scientific American.

Scientific American.
1t is agreed all around that unre-
stricted immigration is becoming too
much of a good thing for this country,
and that the immigration laws should
be thoroughly revised, with the view
Of regulating the coming of foreigners
to our shores. The reasons urged
against unrestricted immigration are,
first, the great increase of crime
which is directly traceable to that
element in our population proved to
be alien to our institutions and un-
used to our atmosphere of liberty.
The statistics collated by Rev. Fred
erick HI. Wines indicate an alarming
increase of crime ever since immi-
grants began to come from Europe in
great numbers. This authority has
made it pretty evident that in seven
States, containing nearly 100000
of the population of the United
States, there has been a proportional
increase of commitments to State
prisons and penitentiaries, from 1920
to 1880, vastly greater than the
growth in population.
In New York City, where immi-
grants delight to herd together, in
stead of going westward, the police
last year made 74,035 arrests, which
gives / arrest for every 20 persons.
Making allowance for those who
were arrested more than once, we
can still assume that / out of every
% was arrested last year; while the
number of persons who had commit
ted crimes but have escaped the
clutches of the law is not known.
This is a record that should move
the serious attention of every patriot
to a consideration of an efficient and
speedy remedy.
Secondly, the increase of the death
rate in the United States, and
especially in New York, is said to be
largely due to unrestricted immigra.
ton. DIR. Eklund, of Stockholm,
makes the startling statement that
the infants dying under one year Of
age in the United States average fifty
per cent of the number born, while
in Europe the death rate of infants
under one year of age is twenty-five
per cent of all deaths. He attributes
this high death rate in America tC
the fact that "the European defective
classes, whose natality and infantilt
death rates are enormous, are forci
bly, exported in great numbers tC
this country"
The Medical Record virtually in
dorses his statement by acknowledg
ing that cit is very true that thu
numbers of our sick and defective
classes are enormously swollen by
the immense tide of immigration. i
is safe to say that four-fifths of thu
infant mortality is among the chill
dren of the immigrants"
Thirdly, it is said in favor of re
stricted immigration that the immi
grants opportunity for getting EN-
ployment is now less than it was fit
teen years ago, when there was much
railroad building and great industri
al expansion. This is not so easily
proved as the first two statements
For it is absurd to say that a man.
opportunity to obtain work is les
now because fewer railroads are il
process of construction, when there i
plenty of capital lying idle waiting
for good investments, and an i'm
mense tract of country ready to re
ceive the pillow of the sober and in
dustrious h%usbandman. The reason
why a laboring nan has not tn
same chance to make a living nov
as he did fifteen years ago is becaus
of the disturbances in the labor mar
kettle strikes, the boycottings, ant
the attacks on others right to work